


Of Colors and Hues: Psycho-Pass Week 2019

by Rennaren



Category: Psycho-Pass
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Psycho-Pass Week 2019, Series Spoilers, canon character death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-13
Updated: 2019-01-18
Packaged: 2019-10-09 15:41:20
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17409638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rennaren/pseuds/Rennaren
Summary: This series of stories was created for 2019's Psycho-Pass week on Tumblr. The chosen prompts for each day are based on a specific color and/or the meaning of that color.





	1. Day 1: Red/Strength

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The color red has always played a role in the events of Akane Tsunemori's life, and at some point, it also became representative of one part of what continues driving her forward.

Akane beamed as the teacher patted her head, smiling approvingly as Akane brought the pile of assignments she had collected from her fellow students up to her desk, complementing the red shade of Akane’s sweater before dismissing the class to recess. On the playground outside, while their teacher was otherwise occupied a group of boys, known for being troublemakers, surrounded Akane peppering her with spiteful remarks on her role as teacher’s pet. 

“How come you always wear red anyway?... Sybil says it’s not even a good color.” taunted a boy who normally sat several seats behind Akane in class, giving her a forceful shove. Next to him a boy laughed as Akane fell onto her rear with a grunt. 

“Stupid, it’s cause of her name.” he said as he elbowed his friend. 

The first bully that stood over Akane looked down at her with a smirk. “…Is that it huh? …You have to wear it because it reminds you of your name? That’s dumb.”

“N-no! …That’s not it!” shouted Akane, tears beginning to well in her eyes. 

Just then the teacher came over to break up the fight, soothing Akane’s tears briefly before sweeping away toward the principal’s office with the bullies in tow. 

Arriving at her Grandmother’s house after school for a planned weekend long stay, Akane took off her cardinal colored sweater, balling it up furiously before hiding it away out of sight in a corner of the guest room closet. Later when Akane and her Grandmother were heading out to get a special treat, her grandmother asked after the suddenly missing garment. At first Akane hesitated to answer, but after some gentle prodding the story of what had happened spilled out, Akane’s lips twisting in distress as she spoke.  
With a sigh and a sympathetic smile Akane’s Grandmother pulled the girl into her lap, gently stroking her brown locks until she was calm once more. 

“You shouldn’t pay attention to what they say A-chan. I think red is a beautiful color, it symbolizes strength.” said her Grandmother with a smile, as Akane tilted her head back to look up at her. “That’s why your parents chose it for your name.” 

“Really?...” asked Akane her eyes widening in childish wonder at the depth of her Grandmother’s knowledge and wisdom. 

“Mm-hm.” replied her Grandmother nodding, as she stroked Akane’s cheek. “It’s perfect for a kind, wonderful and strong girl like you.”

Reassured Akane hopped off of her Grandmother’s lap, going to retrieve her sweater from where she had tucked it so that they could set out on their outing.

 

_Over time she learned to ignore the attempts at provocation and the taunting by children who afterwards became mysteriously absent. And then as she and those around her grew older such words became seldom heard, the admiration her perpetually powder blue hue won allowing her to wear the vivid shade without distress.  
Now cloaked in coat of blue rather than red, her work at the MWPSB had proved challenging so far, but as the Sybil System had predicted, not beyond her abilities._

 

Akane stood facing the large oval floor mirror, feeling sick to her stomach as her imagination filled in the appearance of the claret spray that should have covered the spotless room behind her. Following a hunch that Kogami had provided, Shoko Sugawara, personified on the commufields as Spooky Boogie, had been found to be murdered, her remains dissolved and drained away down her bathtub’s plumbing. Regret and guilt filled Akane at the fate of the young woman who had only a day or so ago attempted to assist them in capturing the suspect in their case. Thinking back to her school days, Akane vaguely recalled the firey red hair and eyes of her former classmate, though she had not known her well. 

 

 _Akane._  
_Aka._  
_Red._  
_Such a small, simple word, carrying with it the meaning of her name._  
_Until now, it had seemed like such an innocent color, despite the childish teasing it had once provoked._

 

Makishima’s blade flashed in the light, reflecting a momentary vermillion dyed view of the hollow room before it struck. Yuki’s muffled final cry, though reduced to a wet, bubbling gurgle in her throat, was still echoed by a scream of despair that reverberated shrilly off the red spattered surfaces. And while the evidence no longer remained on the coat that Kogami wore when she saw him later, in her mind’s eye Akane could still recall where each crimson stain of Yuki’s blood had been. 

 

After the disastrous riots that had rocked the city, Makishima’s capture and escape, and Kogami's subsequent departure, it had been dark in the office when they had summoned her, their wishes made known via a dominator transportation drone. She had been led down into a brilliantly lit room in which dwelt the heart of the System which governed her country, its form unknown to all but a worthy few. As she stood before them struggling to come to terms with the truth that had been laid before her, the Sybil System coolly informed her that she was not the first in recent days to look upon their true form. Before his disappearance enforcer Kagari had made his way down to this chamber as well, prior to his subsequent death. Looking around the unmarred, blinding whiteness of the room Akane’s eyes stung and her chest ached sharply as she wondered how quickly the cleaning drones had been able to erase the scarlet proof of Kagari’s existence from the floor and pillars.

 

Lifting her head from the concrete it had been resting on Akane turned toward the ruddy, sunset tinted field that stretched into the distance, having been brought back to sudden consciousness by the ear-splitting sound of a gunshot. Some vicious, vengeful part of her which also feared for the loss of yet another, who in spite of their difference in physical strength was also supposed to be under her protection, hoped that the blood-stained form that surely lay in the field beyond wore white rather than black. Rising up and returning to the building behind her, she closed her eyes against the large pool of red that covered a portion of the floor. Then reopening them Akane followed the scattered drops that led away from one edge of it until they led her to Ginoza, his left arm and shoulders covered in blood, with Masaoka’s unmoving form draped across them.

 

_Time passes, and the carmine colored specters in her mind fade slightly, but never fully vanish._

 

As Akane and Ginoza arrive at the mental health center where one of the PSB’s inspectors and a group of hostages were being held, numerous bursts of cherry liquid swell and spatter the concrete below the forms that once contained them. Another cry, this time one of angry protest, reverberates off the stony buildings that surround her. Inside, Ginoza kneels beside one pool, his hand instinctively reaching for the shattered wrist link that lay within it before bowing his head as he voiced a murmured name. 

 

Crackling red engulfed the building that she and the other members of Division One stood in front of, as dancing flames consumed it. Akane felt the same blazing heat making its way into her veins, sparks of rage bursting from her eyes as she looked at the man who stood before her. Inside the cushioned box he held out lay an ear, adorned with an earring that was all too familiar, surrounded by a drying patch of maroon. Surging forward she screamed in fury, her strength in the moment nearly enough to overpower even Ginoza’s mechanical arm as he held her back. Later when she stood in Chief Kasei’s office, Akane wondered where that strength had gone as her knees trembled and threated to collapse at the sight of the gruesomely colored images laid before her.  
In spite of her grandmother’s words when she was young, Akane had never hated the color red so much.

 

Murmured words of gratitude, which only she was close enough to be able to make out, were the last thing Akane had expected to hear as Kamui’s wounded body fell through the air already beginning to swell beyond the confines of his flesh as the Dominator’s destructive force overwhelmed it. A violent gush of blood momentarily obscured her vision as Kamui died staining the floor at her feet with its color. Red, human, and perhaps the truest form of answer to the question for which the young man had given his life.

 

 _Another death._  
_More red._  
_More blood dyeing her hands._

 

In SEAUn, a young servant girl falls to the ground mere inches from her uselessly numb fingertips, a thin trail of crimson running down her forehead.

 

_And another precious life, which she had failed to protect, was lost._

 

In the same way that the ocean flowing toward the shore would lap at her slender feet and ankles, moving upward along her legs the longer she stayed in place. The rising flood of red coated her dreams, threatening to drown her in their depths if she stood still long enough.  
In the end only two choices seemed apparent. 

To surrender. 

Give in and allow the weight of what the System failed to prevent, and had at times even deliberately allowed, to consume her. 

Or to fight back. 

To use her determination to prevent the red that had already been shed from spilling any further, as fuel to strengthen her resolve.  
Like the color that was in her name, Akane decided she would accept the red that marked her past failures to protect, using it as the strength of purpose that continued to drive her forward.


	2. Day 2: Yellow/Joy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After so many years spent surrounded by nothing but unyielding white, Kagari will always remember how amazed he was at how colorful the world outside was. All of the colors stood out individually in his mind but particularly among them that first warm, cheerful shade of yellow.

The first thing Kagari noticed as he stepped outside after leaving the rehabilitation center was the vibrant tone of the light that illuminated the area. Rather than the harsh whiteness that he was familiar with, a subtle, cheerful yellow hue seemed to glow in the air around him. A wide closed-lipped smile stretched across his face as he held out a hand, turning it back and forth in front of himself as he noted the difference in his skin’s appearance in the new shade of light, leaving it looking warm and alive for once instead of sickly and washed out. 

Tilting his head back Kagari shaded his eyes against the brightness, noting that the sun above him too shone with the same yellow hue. After being surrounded by so much unyielding white for year after year, he was pretty sure that the change was one he could quickly grow used to. 

“Don’t stare at the sun Enforcer Kagari,… you’ll damage your eyesight.” came a curt voice from behind him. 

Turning Kagari blinked away the bright spots that dotted his vision, revealing the form of Inspector Ginoza once they had cleared. He presented the Inspector with an overly broad, toothy smile along with a mock salute. “…Sure thing, Gino-san.” 

Ginoza sighed, pushing his glasses further up his nose with one hand as he frowned faintly. “You are to address me as Inspector Ginoza, enforcer.” 

Kagari’s smile faded, his lips instead pursing themselves in an unseen pout behind Ginoza’s back, as he followed the Inspector toward the waiting car. 

Even Inspector Ginoza’s irritated tone could not dim Kagari’s mood for long however. As they drove through the city it was all Kagari could do to keep from pressing his nose against the window beside where he was seated in the back of the car, as he took in the bright flashing lights of the signs and displays that surrounded them with unbridled excitement.   
From all angles a variety of colors ranging from pinks and reds, to blues and purples blinked and flickered at him, interspersed with vibrant yellow flashes which caught and held Kagari’s attention until they moved out of sight as the car traveled onward. As they passed by a sign that Kagari dimly remembered from his childhood, he leaned his forehead against the window for a better look, after a moment determining it to be for a restaurant.

Kagari looked away from the window just in time to catch sight of Ginoza’s eyes watching him in the rearview mirror before they turned away, some emotion that Kagari couldn’t quite place but still found rankled him, flickering in their depths for an instant. Kagari turned away from the inspector, his lip curling.

A slight huff preceded Ginoza’s next words, which were spoken a moment later. “Have you eaten?” 

Eyes widening with surprise Kagari’s gaze jerked back to Ginoza, words failing him at the moment. It was well past lunchtime, and as the rehabilitation facility had been informed that Kagari would be picked up by an inspector by that time, the bland lunch Kagari would normally have been given had been deemed unnecessary, with the assumption that he would have been transferred to MWPSB headquarters by then. He could only shake his head in a negative response still shocked over the unexpected question.

Kagari’s surprise only deepened as Ginoza replied with a quiet grunt, shifting the car to manual control before diverting their course away from headquarters and onto the nearest off ramp.

As the car came to a stop in the parking lot of the restaurant and Kagari was ordered out, he looked around curiously at his surroundings taking in the sights and sounds more intently during the few more moments he was being granted to remain outside of confinement. Following Ginoza inside the building Kagari stared in wonder at the colorful menu of meal options that appeared and vanished before him, already beginning to salivate. Everything he saw looked so good in comparison to the tasteless, colorless meals he had known for the majority of his life. Feeling like it might be impossible to choose just one Kagari jabbered enthusiastically about each new item to Ginoza as it appeared.

“…Just choose one Enforcer Kagari…” ordered Ginoza, his growing impatience becoming more and more obvious the longer Kagari’s comments went on. 

“Aww Gino-san,… how can I pick just one?!” retorted Kagari, his eyes still fixed on the brilliantly colored menu. “I mean just look at that one, it looks like it’d be great. …And that other one has some sort of toy with it. It looks like it’d be kind of a small portion though. How am I supposed to decide?” 

Ignoring being addressed incorrectly once more for the moment, Ginoza looked at Kagari with an incredulous expression. “…Are you a child Enforcer Kagari?” 

Heat sprang to Kagari’s cheeks instantly at the tone in Ginoza’s voice, hoping that his embarrassment was not actually visible on his face. “…No…” he muttered, cramming his hands in his pockets as he turned his head to glare at nothing.

After Kagari had placed his order, Ginoza directed him to sit at a table that was within his sight, and well away from any of the restaurants other patrons, warning Kagari that he was watching him and any inappropriate behavior would not be overlooked. Falling into a seat at the table with a huff Kagari folded his arms across his chest, turning his head slightly to watch out of the corner of his eye as Ginoza spoke with the person taking people’s orders for a few moments longer before heading toward where Kagari was seated.

A short time later when a serving drone arrived with their meals Kagari was stunned to see that on the tray with the larger meal he had ordered, sat a small yellow egg shaped toy identical to the ones in the set that had been pictured with the children’s meal. Kagari’s smile lit up his face as he snatched his toy from the tray, his mouth already open to speak as he turned toward Ginoza, who glared at him fiercely for a moment before looking away. 

“Finish your meal quickly Enforcer. We’ve wasted enough time here already.” said Ginoza sharply, using his fork to stab at his own meal with unnecessary force as he spoke.

Kagari’s smile twisted toward wryness as he remained silent, tucking the brightly colored toy away in his coat pocket and patting it once to make sure it was secure, before he turned his attention toward his food. During the ride back Kagari took the toy back out of his pocket once more, happily playing with it and the miniature figurine inside, as he continued watching the colorful lights of the city flash past the car’s window.

_This might not turn out to be so bad after all…_ thought Kagari as he looked down at the lemony shell in his hand. _In spite of ‘Inspector Ginoza’s’ fairly prickly personality,… at the very least things could be worse._

Eventually he managed to collect the rest of the set of toys and all of them, that first cheerfully yellow one included, found a place of dubious honor tucked under the edge of one of his workstation’s computer screens.

**~~~~~~**

During the weeks he spent recovering from his injuries after the sparring match he had proposed with Kogami, Kagari occupied his time settling on the décor and furnishings for the quarters he would be occupying as an enforcer. After all he had little else to do while stuck in the office all day, being currently barred from working in the field. And besides, that last thing he wanted was to end up stuck living in a boring, colorless space like he had been during his years in the rehabilitation center.

As a result the selections for the furniture he was scrolling through were all either brightly colored, or boldly patterned, with his favorites so far being a pink and blue striped couch with a set of chairs each matching one of the stripe colors. Or the second option he was considering, which Kagari decided he would ask Yayoi’s opinion on.

“What do you think about this, Kuni-chi?” asked Kagari as he swiveled slightly toward where Yayoi sat turning the tablet he was holding so that the female enforcer could see the selection of potential furniture that was displayed on it. 

“…Really?” asked Yayoi as she looked up from the music book she was idly flipping through, her nose wrinkling almost imperceptibly at the nearly incandescent yellow shade of the couch and chairs that were displayed on Kagari’s tablet. 

Ignoring Yayoi’s reaction, Kagari’s grin only broadened as he punched in the confirmation of his selection. “They’re perfect!” he stated, nodding to himself as he set about picking more things to fill out the rest of the décor for his quarters.

Yayoi continued eyeing Kagari for a few moments longer before going back to her own reading.

**~~~~~~**

After the décor and furnishings for Kagari’s had been settled on and put into place, he was finally beginning to feel as if he were beginning to become adjusted to this new life outside of the rehabilitation facility. The other enforcers in Division One had decided to throw a ‘quarters-warming’ party to welcome Kagari to the group, now that he was fully healed and allowed to start working in the field with the rest of them. Old man Masaoka had insisted on cooking for the event, and Kogami had somehow persuaded Ginoza to let him off shift a half hour or so early, so that he could assist Masaoka and Kagari in getting the food for the party ready.

Kogami had been assigned to cut the vegetables that were needed, while Masaoka handled the majority of the cooking and seasoning of the meals himself. In spite of Kagari’s supposed role of helping as well, he had been told to do little beyond occasionally stirring the contents of a pot or pan while Masaoka was busy with something else, and had spent the majority of his time sitting on the other side of the bar watching the other two work and admiring the vivid colors of the food that was being prepared. He especially was enjoying watching the bubbling golden surface of the oil that bubbled in a pan that had something frying in it, and the vivid yellow of the pepper Kogami was currently slicing up. 

“Do the different colored ones taste different from each other?” asked Kagari finally, leaning forward a bit over the countertop as he paused in swinging his legs. 

A half smile twitched one side of Masaoka’s mouth upward as he chuckled motioning toward Kogami with the handle of the spoon he was holding. “Why don’t you try them and find out for yourself? …Hey Ko, give him a bit of each of them.” Instructed Masaoka, snatching up a small dish from beside the stovetop, placing it a bit closer to where the other enforcer was working.

Kogami’s gaze lifted from the cutting board in front of him for a moment, his eyes flicking toward Masaoka before he picked up the dish, putting a small slice of the yellow pepper on it before moving to flick a slice of the green and red peppers that he had already cut onto the dish as well. Stepping back toward where Kagari was he placed the dish in front of him, his expression unchanging though Kagari noticed that even as Kogami resumed his work he was still watching, waiting to see Kagari’s response.

Ignoring the continued sensation of both Kogami and Masaoka’s eyes on him Kagari caught up the bit of green pepper and took a bite, his nose wrinkling a bit at the unfamiliar flavor before moving on to sample the others. As he bit into the yellow pepper slice Kagari’s eyes widened. 

“…Woah, this one tasted kind of sweet!” exclaimed Kagari looking back up at Masaoka in surprise. 

A broad smile split Masaoka’s face as he nodded, motioning toward the remaining bit of red pepper that was still on the dish. “And that one is even sweeter.” 

“Weird…” murmured Kagari his enthusiastic smile drawing an amused sounding huff from Kogami as he turned back to dicing the last of the vegetables. 

By the time that Masaoka had finished cooking the others began to arrive, the room quickly filling with unrestrained laughter and chatter as they settled in. To Kagari’s surprise even Inspector Ginoza came, staying for the first part of the party and bringing with him a small, unusual looking figurine as a housewarming gift. 

As the evening wore on and the food and celebratory drinks were consumed freely by nearly everyone, Kagari found himself to be pleasantly tipsy. He assumed that the others were as well, given that Kogami had taken to entertaining the group with card tricks accompanied by terrible jokes and puns that had Kagari doubled over laughing so hard that tears had come to his eyes. And Masaoka had taken to chuckling in quiet amusement at Kagari’s retorts, even going so far to ruffle his hair once or twice, while Yayoi simply smiled slightly, trading out her usual kicks to Kagari’s shins for elbowing his side instead. 

Where the food was concerned, Kagari thought that old man Masaoka’s cooking was probably the best thing he had ever eaten and had already decided that he wanted to become just as good a cook someday.

Later on, after the party had come to a close and the others had wandered off to their own quarters with lazy calls of good night, Kagari let out a satisfied sigh, spreading his arms as he let himself fall backwards onto the yellow leather of his couch. 

_Cleaning up could wait till later…_ he decided, shifting so that he could stretch himself out fully on the couch. Wrapping his arms around himself as he tipped his head back against the arm of the couch, Kagari was unable to stop the large, genuine grin that spread across his face when he thought back over the evening. He felt as if small sparks of excitement and happiness were dancing under his skin, while at the same time feeling as if he were wrapped up in a warm, fuzzy blanket of contentment. 

He wondered if this was what other people meant, when they talked about feeling joy.


	3. Day 3: Turquoise/Communication

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For both Ginoza and Masaoka the color turquoise, particularly when embodied by a turquoise colored teacup, would always remind them of a time when they were part of a happy family. And even after those bonds were nearly severed entirely, and communication had become painful and eventually impossible, there was still a message to be found in those same turquoise cups.

When Masaoka stepped into the room after waking up from the short sleep he’d gotten after coming off shift from his work at the Public Safety Bureau the first thing that met his eyes was the sight of his son. Nobuchika was sitting at the table drinking milk from a turquoise cup that must have been brand new, given that Masaoka had never seen it before now. At least not in the size of the cup Nobuchika was currently using.

As Nobuchika caught sight of his father he smiled broadly glancing down at the cup sitting in front of him before picking it up with both hands, making sure that Masaoka was watching before taking another drink. 

Masaoka made his way over to the table, taking a seat across from Nobuchika, watching for a few minutes as Nobuchika continued to fidget with the cup, and take slow, deliberate sips of his milk, all while watching intently for signs of Masaoka taking notice.

“What’s that you’ve got there, Nobuchika?” asked Masaoka with a grin, happy to give into his young son’s excitement over the cup that he was drinking from. 

Nobuchika straightened in his chair, proudly holding out his cup for Masaoka’s inspection as he explained. “…It’s just like yours and mama’s!” 

“It sure is.” said Masaoka smiling as he looked the cup over before reaching out to ruffle Nobuchika’s hair. “…What do you say Nobuchika? I think we ought to make some tea for you, your mom and me, so we can all use our cups together.”

Nobuchika’s inky bangs shifted across his forehead as he nodded vigorously. He carefully set his cup down on the table before scrambling up onto the step stool near the kitchen sink, using it to climb onto the counter to get to the tin where the tea was kept. 

“Whoa, careful son.” said Masaoka as he reached out to steady Nobuchika, allowing him to sit on the edge of the kitchen counter to watch and help out under Masaoka’s supervision. 

By the time that the tea was nearly ready to be served Sae had joined Masaoka and Nobuchika in the kitchen. As he passed by where Sae stood Masaoka placed a kiss on her cheek, playfully tickling her side as he looped an arm briefly around her waist, before going over to take his and Sae’s matching teacups out of the cabinet carrying them over to the table where Nobuchika’s cup waited. Masaoka remembered he and Sae having picked out the pair of turquoise teacups shortly after they had gotten married as a way to commemorate getting their first house together.

As they settled at the table Masaoka poured tea into each of their cups, watching with a content smile as Sae helped Nobuchika add some honey to his tea to sweeten it after their son had wrinkled his nose after taking a first sip. After she finished Sae looked over to Masaoka a small smile playing across her lips as she threaded the fingers of her free hand through Masaoka’s. 

“I ended up having to have the cup made specially, it seems like it was the only way to get them all to match.” She said as they both watched Nobuchika proudly drinking from his turquoise teacup.

Masaoka hummed, nodding a bit as he squeezed Sae’s hand. “I think that’s fine. …Look how much he’s enjoying having a cup of his own to match ours…”

**~~~~~~**

Only a few weeks had passed since Nobuchika Ginoza had become an inspector at the MWPSB, and so far he had only had one or two encounters with the enforcers of any Division aside from those in Division One. As of that moment Ginoza was still strangely uncertain if he was pleased, or displeased with such an occurrence. However that evening he had ended up on the floor where the enforcers quarters were located, after his senior inspector had ordered him to make sure that their enforcers returned to their quarters promptly as ordered after their shifts, since they were to be put to work in the field early the next day.

As he made his way down the hall toward the elevator a door at Ginoza’s side hissed open, causing the young inspector’s gaze to turn to one side, meeting that of one of Division Three’s enforcers, Tomomi Masaoka. 

Both men wore startled expressions for a moment, with Masaoka recovering his composure first. “Ah,… Inspector,… Is there something I can do for you?” asked the older man, one hand moving to rub at the back of his neck. 

Ginoza looked quickly away, his shoulders straightening under his suit coat. “No enforcer, there is not.” 

To Ginoza’s growing unease the man’s voice spoke a second time, sounding as if he had actually come a bit closer to where Ginoza stood. “…Are you sure about that Inspector? …It’s unusual to see you up here in this part of headquarters. …Especially this late in the day.” persisted Enforcer Masaoka, his words pausing for a few moments before he continued. “…You look like you could use a chance to take a load off. …Why don’t you come in for a few minutes?” 

Ginoza scoffed at the suggestion. It was hardly appropriate for an inspector to so casually spend time with an enforcer, even taking in to account the relationship he had with this particular enforcer, which he was in no great hurry to bring up. “That is out of the question Enforcer Masaoka-…” began Ginoza before being interrupted by the man at his side. 

“Humor an old man, Nobuchika…” said Masaoka softly, causing Ginoza’s gaze to turn toward him sharply. 

After studying Masaoka through narrowed eyes for a several moments Ginoza finally nodded fractionally. His gaze flitted down either side of the hallway, as if making sure that no one was watching before finally following Masaoka into his quarters, mumbling something under his breath about Masaoka addressing him so familiarly.

Once they were inside Masaoka waved a hand toward one of the couches that sat on either side of a coffee table, in a wordless instruction for the inspector to sit down. A faint frown crossed Ginoza’s face for an instant as he moved to the couch, sitting stiffly down on it. 

“Can I get you a drink Inspector?” asked Masaoka his expression over all was nearly impassive save for a faint smile that was twisted faintly by the scar that crossed one side of his lips, the warmth in his eyes as he looked to where Ginoza was sitting not included. 

“Are you attempting to inebriate an Inspector, Enforcer Masaoka?” asked Ginoza his eyes narrowing as he looked over toward where Masaoka stood looking back at him, though it was clear from Ginoza’s expression that he neither wanted or expected a reply as he continued. “…You can’t possibly be unaware of how inadvisable such an action would be.”

“Ah ha,… Of course Inspector.” responded Masaoka with a dry, humorless chuckle as he turned from looking over his shoulder at where Ginoza sat, making his way into the kitchen area of his quarters. “…Tea, then?”

Folding his arms across his chest Ginoza looked like he would rather be anywhere other than where he currently was. “…Very well.” He said, the reluctance in his tone making it sound as if he were being forced into complying against his will.

Masaoka hummed in reply, and when he returned a few minutes later Masaoka was holding a pair of turquoise teacups set on saucers, one of which he placed in front of Ginoza. 

Ginoza’s eyes narrowed for a moment, before widening minutely in surprise as he studied the cup that had been placed in front of him. Closing his eyes briefly Ginoza sighed before slowly lifting his gaze, only managing to meet Masaoka’s eyes for a moment before looking down once more. 

“…Just what is this about?” Ginoza asked, his tone suddenly passive after having reacted with nothing but impatience and abrasion until then.

Masaoka’s eyebrows raised for an instant before he restrained his expression back to something more neutral, though a faint trace of a smile teased at one corner of his lips. “…Does a man need a reason to spend time with a son he hasn’t seen in years?”

As Ginoza’s lips thinned a heated spark darkening his eyes at the comment, Masaoka shook his head, his fingers lifting from his knee in a placating gesture. Reaching for the bottle that was sitting near his cup Masaoka splashed a bit of its contents into his teacup, then sipped at the steaming mixture, letting a few minutes of silence pass before he continued. “…It really is good to see you Nobuchika.” Masaoka paused, hesitating for a few moments as he studied Ginoza, judging the wisdom in pushing further by adding. “…How have you been?” 

“…Something like that is none of your concern.” said Ginoza a flare of anger unconsciously inserting itself into his voice. He was seriously beginning to wonder what his reasoning had been for going along with Masaoka’s insistence in Ginoza visiting his quarters in the first place. Even so Ginoza couldn’t quite manage to stop some foolishly sentimental part of himself from giving the older man an answer, perhaps only because it had been so long since they had even the opportunity to speak. “…However,… my health has been adequate,… I have no complaints.” 

“That’s good. I’m glad to hear it.” murmured Masaoka, fondness softening his features as he nodded. 

An expression that was difficult for Masaoka to read in the instant before Ginoza lowered his head to conceal it passed across Ginoza’s face. A moment later he abruptly started to come to his feet, clearly intending to leave. Quickly setting his teacup aside Masaoka put out a hand to stop him, hoping desperately that he would be able to convince Ginoza to stay, if only for a few minutes longer. “…At least finish your tea before you go. You haven’t even touched it.” 

Masaoka thought he heard Ginoza mutter something that sounded vaguely like “…will that satisfy you?...” under his breath before the young inspector plopped himself back down on the couch with a huff. As Masaoka watched Ginoza hesitated, biting his lower lip as his fingers reached toward the turquoise teacup in front of him, stroking the handle almost reverently before grasping it. 

Releasing his lower lip from his teeth Ginoza drew a breath, his eyes flicking up to Masaoka’s then away again before he spoke. “…Aren’t these- …Just how were you able to get your hands on these?” asked Ginoza in a soft, tight voice as the fingers of the hand not holding his teacup brushed lightly against the cup’s side to clarify the object of his question. 

Masaoka paused weighing how he should answer, given the barely withheld tension he could sense boiling under the surface of Ginoza’s words. “…Your grandmother sent them after-… She said that I should have at least something to remember her by.” 

“I see…” retorted Ginoza shortly, his forehead knitting as he glared down at the tea inside his cup, his lips now pressed tightly together.

Letting out a breath Masaoka settled back, trying to appear relaxed as he reached for his own cup. In spite of the outwardly calm setting, the silence that stretched out over the next minutes carried a faint tension in it, quickly becoming awkward. Rubbing the back of his neck Masaoka finally broke the silence, making one more attempt at communicating across the all too evident gap that stretched between he and his son. 

“…I’m sorry that I wasn’t able to be there for you and your mother back then…” began Masaoka before the ear splitting crash of shattering ceramic interrupted his words. 

“How dare you!” shouted Ginoza as he shot to his feet, ignoring the turquoise shards scattered in the puddle of tea at his feet. “Don’t sit there and apologize, and try to make it sound as if it was out of your control. It was your choice back then to leave us! And you made it on your own!” spat Ginoza through gritted teeth, his hands clenched into fists as his sides as he glared at Masaoka for a moment before spinning on his heel and striding out of the elder enforcer’s quarters, leaving both spilled tea and broken cup as well as his estranged father behind him.

Afterwards in the years that followed Masaoka never again pushed so strongly for the distance between them to be closed, and at home that night Ginoza took out a small, child sized turquoise teacup holding it in an almost too tight grip for a time before burying it at the very back of his cabinet where there was no possibility of it ever seeing the light of day again.

**~~~~~~**

Nearly three months had passed since Ginoza had become an enforcer, in some ways he was beginning to feel as if he were starting to settle into the role. But still there were some things Ginoza was not quite sure he was ready to confront, and in spite of his need to clear out the labeled boxes that were stacked in the bottom of his closet in order to gain needed space for his own things, Ginoza was not sure that he was ready to attempt coming to terms with what he would find inside them.

After hesitating a few moments longer while he scratched behind Dime’s ears to settle the husky who had begun whining worriedly at him, likely having sensed Ginoza’s uncertainty, the raven haired enforcer went over to his closet reaching out with his newly gained prosthetic arm to remove the first of the boxes. It was heavier than he had expected it to be, given that apart from the alcohol that he was already aware of, Ginoza had thought that the majority of his father’s remaining possessions would be mostly clothing or art supplies. Checking the top of the box, Ginoza found that the only explanation of its contents was a cryptic label of ‘Miscellaneous’ which had been scrawled across the lid.

Deciding that it was a good a place to start as any Ginoza lowered the box to the floor, kneeling down in front of it as he took off the lid. Inside the box were varied knickknacks that Masaoka had obviously picked up over the years, one or two of which Ginoza recognized as having found a place on his father’s desk for a time at one point or another. And nestled into the center of them were two objects which had for some reason been carefully wrapped in rags, that while clean, bore evident stains of paint on their surface. 

_…Evidently whoever had packed the boxes had thought that Masa-..., Dad’s paint rags would make just as good packing supplies as anything else they might use._ thought Ginoza as he picked up one of the objects, beginning to carefully unwrap it. 

As the stained fabric fell away enough to reveal a patch of turquoise hued pottery inside Ginoza caught his breath, his mind automatically jumping back to the memory of the last time he had seen that particular shade. Carefully unwrapping the cloth the rest of the way revealed both a fully intact teacup and accompanying saucer to Ginoza. 

Ginoza’s eyes moved back to the other cloth wrapped shape in the box, his gaze sharpening. _…Then that must mean that the other thing wrapped up there is… but I was sure that it broke…_ thought Ginoza as he gently put the cup and saucer he was holding down, reaching for the remaining part of the pair of objects that was in the box. 

In minutes the second cloth was undone and Ginoza held in his hands a second turquoise teacup and saucer, the cup was crisscrossed with thin lines of gold, which weaved across the object in a random pattern of jagged lines. As Ginoza traced the twisting strands of gold with his finger he finally recalled the name of the technique that had been used to repair the cup. Knowing Masaoka’s bent toward artistic pursuits it wasn’t too surprising that his father would have had it repaired in such a way, as kintsugi in the past had also been considered a particular form of art. 

Thinking back to what he had heard of the technique Ginoza remembered hearing that it had also carried with it the symbolism of embracing the imperfections and traumas in one’s past as a part of the history that made an individual unique, and also that after having been repaired, what had once been broken was made more beautiful and valuable for damage it had suffered and that its imperfections were a mark of strength that should be honored rather than hidden away.

Ginoza’s gaze moved to his prosthetic hand which cradled the turquoise teacup, letting out a low laugh. After everything that had happened it almost felt as if the cup itself might have been a final message from Masaoka, left for Ginoza to find from beyond the grave. Until quite recently Ginoza would have been unwilling or at best reluctant to pay attention to anything that Masaoka might have said to him, but now…

Closing his eyes Ginoza lowered his head, both hands now holding the cup as he drew it closer to him. “I’m listening now,… Dad.”

Sometime later when Akane was visiting Ginoza’s quarters, to check in on how Ginoza was doing lately, she noticed a trio of turquoise teacups sitting on one of the shelves in the former inspector’s kitchen that she didn’t remember having seen there before. A small turquoise teacup that seemed almost child sized sat between two normally sized teacups, one of which was shot through with irregular strands of gold.

“Those cups look nice sitting on that shelf Ginoza-san. …But I don’t remember having ever seen them there,… Are they new?” asked Akane when Ginoza returned to where she was sitting. 

Turning his head Ginoza looked back over his shoulder to where the cups sat, a smile tinged with a hint of sadness crossing his face as he shook his head. “Not exactly,… I just thought that they should be together.”


End file.
